The chip that is injected into the body is ready

Researchers at Columbia Engineering report that they have created what they say is the smallest single-chip system, with a volume of less than 0.1 cubic millimeters—as small as a speck of dust and visible only under a microscope.

Communication with the device, as well as its power supply, is carried out via microwaves. The related research was published in *Science Advances*.

«We wanted to see how far we could push the limits in terms of how small we could make a functional chip,» said research leader Ken Shepherd. «It’s a new “chip-as-a-system” concept—a chip that, on its own, without anything else, constitutes a fully functional electronic system. This would be revolutionary for the development of wireless, microscopic medical devices that can sense different things, be used in clinical applications, and be approved for human use.».

Eliza Konofagou, a distinguished scientist, professor of biomedical engineering, and professor of radiology, as well as Steven Lee, a doctoral student in Ms. Konofagu’s laboratory. The design was carried out by Ph.D. candidate Chen Xi.

The chip, which is fully implantable, was manufactured at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, with additional modifications made at the Columbia University facilities and the City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) Nanofabrication Facility.

As Shepard said, «It’s a good example of “beyond Moore’s Law” technology—we introduced new materials into the standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) architecture to provide new functions.».

As Ms. Konofagu said, «Ultrasound continues to evolve in terms of its clinical significance as new tools and techniques become available. This work continues that trend.».

The team’s goal is to develop chips that can be inserted into the body using a subcutaneous needle and communicate via ultrasound, providing information about what they are measuring locally. Existing devices measure body temperature, but the team is working on many other applications.

It should be noted that implants are already widely used to monitor and record biological signals and to treat diseases. There is great interest in the design of wireless, small, and implantable medical devices is high, as they would allow for detailed monitoring of vital signs for medical purposes—from temperature to glucose or sweat levels.